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FY2012-17 Federal CIP for FY2013 1 Introduced by: Borough Manager 2 Requested by: Borough Assembly 3 Drafted by: Special Projects Support Introduced on: 01/05/2012 4 Adopted on: 01/05/2012 5 6 KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH 7 RESOLUTION NO. FY2012 -17 8 9 A RESOLUTION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH 10 ADOPTING A FEDERAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND IDENTIFYING 11 FEDERAL PROGRAM PRIORITIES FOR FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 2013 12 13 WHEREAS, a capital improvement program has been adopted by the Kodiak Island 14 Borough Assembly that identifies the needs of the community over the next five years; and 15 16 WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island Borough has identified three main capital improvement 17 projects to submit to the Alaska Congressional Delegation for funding consideration; and 18 19 WHEREAS, the Alaska Congressional Delegation has requested the views of the Kodiak 20 Island Borough on which federal programs should be considered priorities for rural Alaskan 21 communities and their residents. 22 23 NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND 24 BOROUGH THAT: 25 26 Section 1: The Kodiak Island Borough's top three federal capital improvement project 27 priorities for federal fiscal year 2013 are as follows: 28 29 1. Landfill Wastewater Treatment 30 Total estimated cost of the project: $13,650,000 31 Funding Sources: Kodiak Island Borough revenue bonds, State of Alaska $3,650,000 32 Federal Funding Request: $10,000,000 33 34 The Kodiak Island Borough's landfill is estimated to reach the limits of its permitted 35 capacity within two years. The most practical solution to address this problem is to 36 construct new cells adjacent to the existing landfill. Current Alaska Department of 37 Environmental Conservation regulations implementing the federal Clean Water Act 38 require the new cells to be fully lined to capture all leachate or fluids produced by the 39 waste. The captured leachate will be processed either in a newly constructed treatment 40 facility on -site, or transported several miles to the waste water treatment plant through 41 a newly constructed pressurized pipeline. This treatment represents an unfunded 42 federal mandate. Federal assistance to communities to comply with this federal 43 mandate has been available in the past through EPA's State and Tribal Assistance 44 Grant Program (the "STAG" Program). The Kodiak Island Borough is seeking the • Kodiak Island Borough Resolution No. FY2012 - Page 1 of 5 45 Alaska Delegation's assistance to restore funding for the STAG program so that the 46 Borough can compete for federal matching funds for this project. 47 48 2. Kodiak Pedestrian Pathways, Phase 1B 49 Total estimated cost for the project: $12,000,000 50 Funding Sources: Kodiak Island Borough, State of Alaska $3,000,000 51 Federal funding request: $9,000,000 52 53 The Kodiak Island Borough, in conjunction with the City of Kodiak and interested 54 community members, is working to develop a designated pedestrian /bike pathway 55 system for Kodiak residents and visitors. This pathway will complement Kodiak's road 56 system by providing safe bike and pedestrian access from the northern most end of the 57 road system, at White Sands Beach, to the Bells Flats community south of the City of 58 Kodiak. This phase of the project addresses a segment of the pathway, Phase 1 B, 59 which will extend from the Kodiak City boundary (Deadman's Curve) and a well -used 60 scenic overlook to the entrance of the U. S. Coast Guard Base. Other phases of the 61 project, outside the City of Kodiak, are: Phase II from the U. S. Coast Guard Base 62 entrance to Panamarof Creek (Bells Flats community) and Phase III from Otmeloi Way 63 to White Sands beach. Each of these phases is a significant component of an 64 integrated, community friendly pathway system. A planning level scoping document 65 has already been completed to support this project. The total project cost for this phase 66 of the pathway project is estimated at $11.7 million. As part of the Highway Trust Fund 67 reauthorization, Congress is considering establishing pedestrian pathways and bike 68 paths as a priority under the Alaska Department of Transportation's Transportation 69 Enhancement Program. The Kodiak Island Borough is seeking support for pedestrian 70 and bike paths to be identified as an enhancement priority in the next Highway Bill. 71 72 3. Traffic Safety Lighting (City of Kodiak to United States Coast Guard Base) 73 Total estimated cost for the project: $15,000,000 74 Federal funding request: $2,000,000 75 76 One road connects the City of Kodiak to the state airport, the U.S. Coast Guard 77 Support Center and neighborhoods located roughly south of town. This stretch of 78 roadway between the city limits and the U.S. Coast Guard Base is approximately five 79 miles of dark, two lane, winding roadway with an average speed limit of 45 miles per 80 hour. The lack of highway lighting is a significant safety concern along this section of 81 heavily traveled road. The federal High Risk Rural Road Program provides funding 82 through the Federal Highway Trust Fund to correct or improve hazardous road 83 locations in rural areas through construction or operational improvements. This 84 program is a potential source of federal funding for the traffic lighting safety project. 85 The Kodiak Island Borough is seeking the Alaska Delegation's assistance in having the 86 High Risk Rural Road Program funded as part of the Highway Trust Fund 87 reauthorization in 2012. 88 Kodiak Island Borough Resolution No. FY2012 -17 Page 2 of 5 89 Section 2: The Kodiak Island Borough's views and recommendations on priority federal 90 programs are as follows: 91 92 1. Payment - Lieu - - Taxes (PILT): There are over 2.8 million acres removed by the 93 Federal Government from taxation within the boundaries of the Kodiak Island Borough. 94 This is land that would otherwise be available to the private sector to develop, creating 95 jobs for the residents of Kodiak and the Borough villages. This in turn would create tax 96 revenues for the. PILT was enacted by Congress to help offset the loss of revenues to 97 municipal entities caused by federal land withdrawals within local government 98 boundaries. The Borough uses these funds to provide basic social services, including 99 medical care, emergency fire and rescue services, roads, and schools. The PILT 100 Program will expire at the end of Fiscal Year 2012. The Kodiak Island Borough is 101 seeking the Delegation's assistance in extending the PILT Program for another five 102 years. 103 104 2. Refuge Revenue Sharing: The National Wildlife Refuge Fund is a critical source of 105 replacement revenue to communities like ours who have the presence of a large 106 Federal wildlife refuge within their boundaries. That presence removes substantial 107 amounts of property from the local property tax base. The share we receive from the 108 Fund is based on a formula that partially compensates us for our tax losses due to the 109 existence of the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge is over 1.9 million acres 110 in size and therefore has permanently removed from private ownership, development 111 and taxation over half the property on the island. The current Administration 112 recommended no funding for this important program. The Kodiak Island Borough is 113 seeking the Alaska Delegation's assistance in providing level funding for this program 114 in Fiscal Year 2013. 115 116 3. Bypass Mail Program: Congress is currently working on legislation to reform the U.S. 117 Postal System in an effort to stem the financial losses currently being incurred by the 118 U.S. Postal Service. A number of Members of Congress have used this legislative 119 initiative to advocate for the curtailment or elimination of the postal rate subsidies for 120 rural Alaska. Postal service is a fundamental right guaranteed to all Americans under 121 the U.S. Constitution. Universal service is a cornerstone of our current Postal System. 122 The existing Bypass Mail Program is the mechanism used by the U.S. Postal Service 123 to guarantee the benefits of universal service to Americans living in the rural areas of 124 Alaska. The elimination of Bypass Mail will discriminate against Alaskans by depriving 125 them of the uniform postal rates available to all other Americans. The Kodiak Island 126 Borough recommends that the Alaska Delegation vigorously oppose any efforts to 127 terminate or undermine the Bypass Mail Program. 128 129 130 131 132 • Kodiak Island Borough Resolution No. FY2012 -17 Page 3 of 5 133 4. Essential Air Service (EAS) Program: The EAS Program was created as a legislative 134 compromise during Airline Deregulation to assure that rural communities around the 135 nation would not lose passenger air service. The Borough villages currently receive 136 EAS subsidy. Air service links the residents of these villages to Kodiak and the rest of 137 the United States. EAS guarantees that these residents will have scheduled air service 138 at reasonable rates. The EAS Program survived repeated amendments to repeal it 139 earlier this year, including one attempt in the appropriations process to severely cut 140 back on the annual funding. We anticipate these challenges to the program to continue 141 in 2012. Loss of the EAS subsidy could result in the cessation of scheduled air service 142 and a dramatic increase in the costs of tickets to rural residents. The Kodiak Island 143 Borough is recommending that the Alaska Delegation continue to vigorously defend the 144 EAS Program. 145 146 5. Groundfish Surveys: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council has raised 147 concerns with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration about what 148 appears to be slippage in the winter and summer groundfish surveys for the Gulf of 149 Alaska. The diminution in these surveys will eventually come back to haunt Kodiak 150 fishermen and processors should the North Pacific Fishery Management Council turn 151 precautionary in the establishment of annual groundfish quotas due to insufficient stock 152 assessment data. A reduction in federal groundfish quotas for pollock, cod, and 153 rockfish would result in lost economic opportunities for Kodiak residents and lower raw 154 fish tax receipts over time. The Kodiak Island Borough recommends that the Alaska 155 Delegation add the groundfish surveys to the list of programs to be protected during the 156 Fiscal Year 2013 budget process. 157 158 6. Economic Development Administration (EDA): The EDA provides grants to 159 communities nationwide to help develop public infrastructure in areas with chronic 160 unemployment. Alaska receives an annual allocation of EDA grant funds. These funds 161 are used by EDA to help with projects being financed by state grants and local 162 matching funds. FDA's rural development grant program has been targeted for 163 elimination by some Members of Congress. The Borough and its communities must 164 continue to have access to a combination of local, state, and federal funding sources to 165 overcome the high cost of public infrastructure projects within the Borough boundaries. 166 The Kodiak Island Borough recommends that the Alaska Delegation identify the EDA 167 grant program as a priority for continued funding in Fiscal Year 2013. 168 169 7. Denali Commission: Congress has been providing the Denali Commission with 170 regional funding to assist communities and villages for the construction of local roads, 171 public health facilities, energy sufficiency projects, bulk fuel storage, and dock projects. 172 The Denali Commission generally uses its available funding as the final contribution to • 173 projects which already have the majority of funds set aside from local, state, and other 174 federal sources. The Kodiak Island Borough recommends that the Alaska Delegation 175 continue to pursue annual funding for the Denali Commission programs. 176 Kodiak Island Borough Resolution No. FY2012 -17 Page 4 of 5 177 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Kodiak Island Borough administration is hereby 178 instructed to advise Congress and the appropriate agencies of the United States Federal 179 Government of the Capital Improvement Program and priorities adopted by the Kodiak 180 Island Borough Assembly. 181 182 183 ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH 184 THIS FIFTH DAY OF JANUARY, 2012 185 KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH 186 187 188 41 - ` 189 Jer me M. Selby, Bor. I a or 190 191 ATTEST: 192 193 194 195 No a M. Javier, ' V •, :orough Clerk Kodiak Island Borough Resolution No. FY2012 -17 Page 5 of 5